New alien species invasions rising globally: Study

Between the years 2000 and 2005, one quarter of records are of species that had not previously been found anywhere as an alien, which is a worryingly high proportion. (Image Source: University College London)

The number of newly emerging alien species – those never before encountered as aliens – continuesto rise, posing a significant challenge to biosecurity interventions worldwide, according to a study.Researchers, including those from University College London (UCL) in the UK, found that up to 16 per cent of all species on Earth may be alien species and if they invade new regions, impacts will be difficult to predict.

Approaches to tackle the growing issue largely rely on knowledge of species’ invasion history elsewhere, giving new previously unrecorded alien species a higher chance of…